Combination sofa and bed



Dec. 20, 1955 J. GARLAND COMBINATION SOFA AND BED 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 4. 1952 Dec. 20, 1955 J. GARLAND 2,727,251

COMBINATION SOFA AND BED Filed April 4, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Him United States Patent ffice COMBINATION SOFA AND BED Joseph Garland, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Superior Sleeprite Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Application April 4, 1952, Serial No. 280,491

1 Claim. c1. s-ss This invention relates to a combination sofa and bed, and particularly to a construction providing readily accessible storage room for such articles as bedding and pillows, or any other desired articles.

Sofas constructed so that they may be unfolded to provide beds are well known in a wide variety of forms. Such combination sofas and beds have generally made it a nuisance to change from one to the other because of the inconvenience and difliculty of storage of bedding. A combination sofa and bed, embodying the present invention, has substantial advantages over prior devices in regard to the ease'and accessibility of storing bedding in the device. Furthermore, the new construction is simple and susceptible to design treatment in order to provide a combination sofa and bedhaving desirable lines and susceptible to comfortable use, either as a sofa or a bed. A feature of the present invention resides in the simplicity of construction and the fact that a combination sofa and bed embodying the present invention may be manufactured at prices competitive with conventional,

combination sofas and beds.

The invention may be incorporated in any one of a large number of different combination sofas and beds and is particularly adapted to be used in the combination 'sofa and bed described in the co-pending application of John J. Wodarsky, Serial No. 91,293, filed May 4, 1949, now Patent No. 2,634,427, assigned to the same assignee as the instant application. For a complete understanding of the invention, reference will now be made to the drawings and the description following hereafter wherein a preferred illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed. It will be evident that substantial variations inconstruction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring therefore to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combination bed and sofa embodying the present invention, the structure being shown as a sofa;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, similar to Fig. 1, Wherein the structure isshown opened to function as a bed;

,Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of theconstruction shown in Fig. 2, wherein the storage compartment is open;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail along line 44 of Fig. 1, illustrating the construction of the sofa frame and showing the bed frame in outline in a partly unfolded position;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4, illustrating the sofa construction for providing storage room and showing the upholstered back of the sofa swung downwardly in dotted line position for rendering the storage compartment accessible;

Fig. 6 is a perspective detail of a part of the storage cover support; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective detail from the rear of the combination sofa and bed showing the storage compartment open and illustrating the substantial amount of storage room available.

This invention is generally adaptable to any combination sofa and bed and within wide limitsis independent Z,7Z'. ,Z5l Patented Dec. 20, 1955 of the precise constructional details of the bed proper. Accordingly, no attempt has been made to show or describe the detailed constructional features of a folding bed forming part of the combination sofa and bed. As pointed out above, the construction disclosed and claimed in the cc-pending application of John J. Wodarsky previously referred to may be advantageously used; however, other folding bed constructions may also be used.

The sofa proper comprises a frame of wood or metal, as desired, of generally conventional construction and includes supporting legs 10, side members 11 and 12 and panel or backboard 13. The frame may also include transverse members 15 and 16 at the bottom and top, respectively, of the backboard. It is understood that the bed which is preferably of metal, and has the head end thereof disposed between the inside surfaces of side members 11 and 12, will also provide support and stiffening for the sofa frame to maintain the sides in predetermined relationship.

Side members 11 and 12 may have any desired contours and shapes for enhancing the appearance of the combination sofa and bed. As illustrated here, side members 11 and 12 are only high enough to function as hand rails when the furniture is being used as a sofa. Accordingly, transverse reinforcing member 16 is disposed between side extension members 20 and 21. These members forming part of the sofa frame are solid and preferably of wood, although metal may be used. Members 2!) and 21 extend down into the sofa frame well within the interior thereof. Inasmuch as the sofa construction is the same on both sides, only one side will be described in detail.

Attached to interior of extension side members 20 and 21 are reinforcing boards 22, there being one board at each side of the sofa. Reinforcing boards 22 are preferably of wood and may be glued or attached in any desired manner to the corresponding frame side. Rigidly attached to board 22, as by screws, glue or the like, is bed frame supporting member 23 of steel or wood. Bed frame support member 23 extends downwardly and forwardly of the sofa and has notched portion 24.

A folding bed frame of any desired description, such as for example that disclosed in the co-pending application referred to, is pivotally secured at notch 24 at each side of the sofa frame. Thus for example, the bed frame may have arm 25, the end of which carries end pin 26 for entering the notch. Arm 25, at the end, is secured to end rail 27 forming part of a folding bed. Extension spring 28 is disposed across the end of the folding bed and functions as an extension at the head end of the bed for supporting the edge portion of the mattress. As is well known, the folding bed frame, which is pivoted at notched portions 26, is adapted to be jackknifed along a number of transverse axes sothat the folded bed is beneath the seat cushions and also extends up along backboard 13.

Rigidly anchored into the lower front corner portion of supporting member 22 is transverse member 30. Transverse member 3i) is preferably of wood, although it may be of metal, or other material, and has rigidly attached thereto, at the bottom, an additional stiffening and hinge-supporting member 31 which may also be of wood. Member 31 may be notched at 32 at the end thereof, to clear support member 22. In passing it may be observed that arms 25 may be moved in such fashion when assembling the structure that pin 26, carried at the end thereof, may be inserted into the notch. It is understood that in the event that a different bed suspension is used, it may be unnecessary to provide support member 23 or to have a notch 32 for clearing the member.

Pivotally secured to transverse member 31, as by means of hinges 33, is frame 34 for the storage compartment cover, which is preferably of wood but which may be of wood and metal or metal alone. Frame 34 consists of side members 35 and upper and lower transverse members 36 and 37, respectively. The pivot axis for frame 34 is horizontal and should be as low as possible to clear the bed members. In general, a height about equal to or somewhat lower than seat height may be used for the pivot axis. Rigidly attached to upper transverse member 36 is storage cover piece 39. Storage cover piece 39 may be of wood extending the full width of the sofa. Cover piece 39 is rigidly attached to transverse member 36 as by spaced angle irons 39 or any other suitable means. Cover piece 39 is adapted to rest upon the top edges of extension side members 20 and 21 and upon transverse frame member 16.

A storage compartment generally indicated by numeral 40 is bounded at the bottom by partition member 41 of thin wood or fiber or any other suitable material. Member 41 has one edge portion 42 suitably attached to backboard 13 while the opposite edge portion 43 of the partition member is attached to transverse frame member 30. It is understood that partition member 41 extends the full width of the sofa and the vertical location and shape of this partition is determined by the amount of space required below the partition for accommodating the various parts and members of the bed when in folded position.

Extension side members 20 and 21 have inclined front edges 44, the inclination being upwardly and rearwardly. Sides 35 of cover frame 34 are adapted to rest against the inclined front edges when the cover is closed. In this closed cover position, the support of the front and top edges of the side members and transverse member 16 to the cover construction as a whole makes for a rigid, firm and stable compartment closure.

Frame 34 carries an upholstery backrest construction generally indicated by numeral 45. This construction is preferably bulged out from the frame to create region 46 between frame 34 and the inside surface of the upho'lstering. The upholstering is of conventional construction and is maintained in its outward bowed shape by any suitable means. Thus, for example, wooden slats 47 extending the full width of the sofa may be supported between end boards 48 and 49 of the hinged cover. These end boards 48 and 49 are rigidly attached to frame 34. Suitable webbing, springs and padding, together with upholstering fabric 51, may be disposed to finish the hinged cover portion of the sofa. The inside surface of this hinged portion of the sofa may be finished as desired by tacking suitable fabric thereon.

As is clearly evident in Fig. 7, the hinge portion of the sofa may be swung forwardly of the sofa to give ready access to the storage region. Thus the entire hinge cover portion moving forward uncovers the storage compartment at the top and side and at the same time brings the side of the storage compartment forwardly to provide a wide mouth or opening for the storage region. Partition 41 serves to support any material or bedding disposed in the storage compartment. The bowed nature of the partition endows the same with strength. By making the partition of generally flexible material which will fiex somewhat in response to pressure from compressed bedding material, it will be possible to permit the partition to yield at certain of the regions below the partition not taken up by the mechanism and parts of the bed.

It is evident that hinged cover portion of the sofa may be swung outwardly to open the storage compartment, irrespective of whether the bed is in a folded or intermediate open position. This feature is of great convenience, since it permits access to the storage region at all times.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of the invention, substantial changes in construction, particularly to accommodate various folding bed structures, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

A combination sofa and bed including a sofa frame having back and sides and having a generally open front with a transverse member at the front at a height to clear a bed, a foldable bed pivotally secured within said frame and adapted to be unfolded from the frame, a back for said sofa, said back comprising a hollow frame and an upholstery back rest secured at its edges to said frame, the intermediate portion of said upholstery back rest being spaced from said hollow frame to form part of a storage compartment extending rearwardly through said hollow frame to the back of the sofa frame, means for pivotally securing said back at the bottom thereof to said transverse member so that said back may be turned forwardly of the sofa from a normal position where said back functions as a part of a sofa, a partition within said sofa frame defining the bottom of said storage compartment within said sofa frame, said sofa frame forming the rear wall and lower portions of the side walls of said storage compartment, and side extension members secured to the back of said sofa frame and extending forwardly thereof to form side walls for the upper portions of said storage compartment, said pivoted back forming the front wall of said storage compartment and being adapted to close said storage compartment in its normal position and being movable to a storage compartment opening position independently of the condition of said bed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 319,491 King June 9, 1885 990,145 Klopping Apr. 18, 1911 993,691 Klopping May 30, 1911 1,271,725 Kramer et a1. July 9, 1918 1,359,027 Bryld Nov. 16, 1920 2,412,628 McKeown et a1. Dec. 17, 1946 2,634,427 Wodarsky Apr. 14, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 818,098 Germany Oct. 22, 1951 

